live sustainably

I have applied to two intentional communities in Wales. I will be visiting them in the next couple of months. If all goes well, I hope to be joining one of them by spring 2009. Both are housing co-operatives (a UK concept) who grow a lot of food, minimise car use, care for the land and live the “good life”. Sounds wonderful.

It’s difficult in the current situation of living in an apartment in one of the less savory areas of the city, but my housemate and I are doing the best we’re able; we recycle, we’re on a plan with the electricity that uses green power for a small additional fee, and we bus/bike/walk everywhere we go and own no vehicle.

I am an idealist, so you can assume I really want to live in some land, with a solar powered home, gardens, orchards, goats, chickens, etc…I can dream, can’t I? In the meantime, I just try to be as eco-conscious as possible.

I will try to live MORE sustainably, but total sustainability in the family I live in in the world I live in, is just not going to happen.

I’m going to set aside this goal for a bit…

I feel like I should pool my efforts towards becoming more green and environmentally friendly first (which, will, in turn, help this goal).

Cheerio!

Let me tell you, America this tough. I mean, I can ride a bike, cook my own food, use a cloth bag, air dry my clothes in summer, etc., but I’m still beyond my capacity. The systems to truly live sustainably just aren’t in place, yet.

Splitting this into quantifiable subgoals.

Near where I live is a rural area off the Columbia River called Sauvie Island. I like to go there on rainy holidays like this past Christmas to be alone with my thoughts. This Christmas I saw a Bald Eagle in flight and it reminded me of what is being lost every minute because we as humans have forgotten that we are only a part of the living mosaic of the world, not the lords and masters.

This biggest challange I face daily is to make choices that will preserve and heal this planet and to learn how to teach by example without being preachy. My first step is to learn myself. We are constantly being bombarded with the next best thing. For me the next best thing is to try to build a community of friends and neighbors based on a relantionship of care for each other and not for the material things we have or want.

i live in an apartment building where we all have exterior doors and we all have recycling bins (for paper and plastic/cans/bottles – all for free) – it bothers me when i see people in my building throwing boxes and bottles away when they could so easily sort out their tash and recycle. Short of going through everyone’s dumpsters and sorting it myself, how can i raise awareness?

i would love to start composting, but have no idea where to begin. Living in an apartment, we only have kitchen waste (no grass clippings or yard waste) which seems essential for most composting piles that i’ve researched. any ideas?

bought my first energy saving light bulb this weekend – plan to go and stock up next weekend – will replace 6 more regular bulbs. yay!

of Put Your Presents Where Your Politics Are is underway.

This is a pretty simple concept I came up with last year and was able to follow through on: every holiday gift I gave was either locally-made, fair trade, made by me, or benefitted a worthy cause. Last year in Ithaca it was easy – with Spirit & Kitsch, 10,000 Villages, and the Peace & Justice Gift Shop all right on the Commons, just for starters! This year in Burlington I think it will also be very doable, although I don’t have the familiarity with what’s available, I’ve been asking around.

The point should be apparent – it’s hardly an option in our culture to not spend any money during the holiday season, and it really is fun to give and receive gifts. But why spend money on one more thing my friends and family don’t really need? I want the gifts I give to be functional for the receiver, as well as for the producer. I love supporting local businesses and artisans, so the holidays are the perfect dare-to-be-great opportunity to exercise my commitment to sustainability. In addition, when giving the gift, I explained my project, therefore spreading the know, and the appreciation for the gift.